Generally, a door of a vehicle is provided with operating devices, such as a power window device, a door locking device, a side mirror adjusting device, etc., which operate by a power source. The respective operating devices are connected to a main controller mounted in a vehicle body through cables so as to be driven by the manipulation of a driver. The cables are drawn out from a side portion of the vehicle body and are put into the door. Typically, a panel of the vehicle body is provided with cable connectors to connect the cables drawn out from the vehicle body and the cables extending from the respective operating devices mounted in the door.
FIGS. 8-9 show an example of a conventional cable connector shown installed in a vehicle. As shown in FIG. 8, the conventional cable connector includes a first connector 300, which is connected with a cable 10 drawn out from an interior of a vehicle body 100, and a second connector 400, which is connected with a cable 10 drawn out from an interior of a vehicle door 200 and is inserted into the first connector 300. As shown in FIG. 9, the first connector 300 is provided with flanges 301 extending outwardly. In order to fixedly mount the first connector 300 to a panel 101 of the vehicle body 100 having a connector mounting opening 102, the flanges 301 are formed with fixing holes 302 through which bolts 303 are tightened.
When mounting the conventional cable connector, the first connector 300, connected with the cable 10 drawn out from the vehicle body 100, is fitted through the connector mounting opening 102 formed at the panel 101 of the vehicle body. Then, the flanges 301 of the first connector 300 are fixed to the panel 101 of the vehicle body 100 by tightening the bolts 303 through the fixing holes 302 formed at the flanges 301. Thereafter, the second connector 400 connected with the cable 10 drawn out from the door 200 is engaged with the first connector 300 thereby completing the process of assembling the cable connector.
However, the above conventional cable connector has a problem of taking much time to assemble the cable connector, because the first connector 300 is fixed to the panel 101 of the vehicle body 100 by tightening the bolts 303. Also, a worker has an inconvenience in assembling the cable connector because of using a motor-operated screwdriver in a small space between the vehicle body 100 and the vehicle door 200 to fix the first connector 300 to the vehicle body 100.